18. But the nature and degree of punishment confequent on the firft offence, in this refpect, may be inferred from fimilar cafes, viz. devils and difobedient men. These have their part in the lake burning with fire and brimstone. And to the fame fuffering, in refpect of the foul, were the progenitors of mankind subjected by the first offence. This was the fecond thing fignified by death.

III. 1. Eating the forbidden fruit likewise affected the Human frame: Not in making, but keeping it mortal; for immortality belonged not to their original ftate, as the matter of which their bodies was made, duft, a compofition of the elements, fufficiently fhews: Which, though caft into a curious frame, and principled with life, could not fubfift without daily recruits from other creatures; the want or withholding of which recruits had thrown man back into his original elements; than which there needs no ftronger proof of their not being immortal in that refpect. That immortality was not a property of the body in the original ftate, may also be inferred from this, That it was to be the effect of abstaining from the tree of knowledge, and partaking of the tree of life; which is evident from the contrary, from their not abftaining from the one, for which they were prohibited the other; which induced death.

2. And as it cannot be fuppofed that this fublunary world was defigned to contain all that should be born into it; and as it is more than probable the fame heaven was prepared for them which the righteous fince obtain (for it was prepared from the beginning of the world); and as flesh and blood cannot now, fo neither

could they then inherit that kingdom; confequently, their bodies of flesh must have been tranformed into fpiritual bodies, previous and preparatory to their tranflation into that everlafting kingdom. Wherfore, though the fentence, "Duft thou art, and to duft thou fhalt return," was confequent on the original crime, it cannot import more, than as they did not abftain from the fruit of the tree of knowledge till the time of probation was paft, fo they took not of, or did not continue to take of the tree of life§;" which, 'tis probable, would have preferved them ftrong and active, till the time for removing them to a more celeftial abode had commenced, where bodies, conftituted like theirs, would be unfuitable: Which rendered a change in their human frame neceffary, as a qualification for a more fublime fituation.

3. And as it is more than probable, that this world was temporary in the first conftitution and defign of it,

fo it was an emblem of man's animal life upon it, which was to be but for a time. In like manner, the tree of life was a fign of that immortal life, which the Almighty defigned them to enjoy in the world to come,

4. Hence it appears, that the human body was nearly the fame in the beginning that it is now. That it was elementary, and fuftained by food, and depended on a participation of the tree of life to preferve it beyond the courfe of nature, 'till they had been transformed and tranflated to a more permar.ent abode. A much easier, as well as fhorter way to glory, than paffing through death and the long delay of immortality. :

5.

Gen, iii. 22.

5. Inftances of thus becoming immortal and going to glory, are recent in the fcriptures, after the fall; in Enoch and Elijah already; and, according to promise, many more at the last day will be changed * transformation and tranflation closely fucceeding each other. But men, for disobedience, being cut off from the tree of life, the majority of them return to duft whence they were taken, till reftord by the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

6. Thus died Adam in the day of his disobedience forfeiting the favour and image of GoD, with lofs of paradife and all hopes of a blefied immortality in glory;. incurring his creator's difpleafure, falling nearly into the condition of devils in all that concerns a fpiritual immortal nature, poffeffing every temper and affection peculiar to fpirits fallen from GoD and holiness; as pride, anger, felf-will, covetoufnefs, felf-love, &c. and under a fentence of eternal banishment from GoD and heaven..

7. But death terminated not in the perfon of Adam, but extended to all his progeny; for in Adam all died; died the fame death with himself, as being contained in, and reprefented by him in the original: ftate, feminally poffeffing all the properties and privileges peculiar to the children of GoD,. as exifting in his loins. For as Adam was the firft of human kind, fo he contained the feeds or famina of all his defcendants. He was the root from whom they were. to fpring. Hence as Adam erat nos omnes, as Adamall, fo what was done hy him, was virtually done by us alfo; and whatever change paffed upon

was us

F 3

* I.. Theff. iv. 17.

him,

him, paffed upon all his offspring, because all spring from that which he was after the fall.

8. And as it is more than probable, that Adam was parent of mind as well as body to his immediate offfpring, fo the lofs of holinefs in him, by which his foul became finful, was the lofs of holinefs and contraction of evil to all his pofterity; which, as it is the caufe of the finfulness of fouls which come into actual existence, so it is the true reafon of their being "by 66 I nature the children of wrath*." Hence then, as Adam and Eve return'd to duft in confequence of the original crime, fo do their pofterity alfo; and as by the fame offence they forfeited original righteoufnefs, fo did their offspring likewife; and as the wrath of GOD came upon them in condemnation to death, so does it upon all who fpring from their loins: For, "by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men "to condemnationt."

9. Forafmuch then as a great fimilarity of circumftances fubfifts betwixt Adam and his offspring, fo it is moft reasonable to refolve it into the connexion betwixt caufe and effect, Adam producing and others produced. Other fuppofitions concerning the creation and coming of fouls, than by traduction, or the common mode of generation, renders the finfulness of them impoffible to be accounted for confiftent with the holinefs of GOD, and the fenfe of mankind. For, to fuppofe that they are created by the Almighty, as bodies are prepared, and infused with their finful difpofition, is highly derogatory to GOD. And to imagine, that they were all formed when Adam's was,

* Ephe. ii. 3. † Rom, v. 18,

and

and became finful with his, and are hovering nobody knows where, till they meet with bodies to inform, is as wild as the other is a wicked notion. It remains then, that they be produced in the natural way, with the body, and by human powers.

10. And though it be granted that the foul differs effentially from the body; which, to fome, minifters matter of doubt whether it can be produced in the fame way, and by the fame means, by which bodies are produced. Yet undoubtedly it may: For why may not the foul of man be produced as the foul of an inferior creature is? The ftrongest objection to this, arifeth from the difference betwixt the fpirits of men and other creatures. The fpirits of animals, however conftituted for continuance, probably furvive not the bodies they poffefs; and however innocent or free from moral evil, do not contain any degree of moral good or the image of GOD. Whereas in the beginning, as the fpirit of man was conftitutionally immortal and divine, and if Adam had retain'd his original righteoufnefs, the fpirits of his immediate offspring had been fo alfo in confequence thereof; then it is teafonable to infer, that as the depravity of fouls is the effect of the fall, it is by communication from parents to children. And the contrary fuppofition of parents being the propagaters of body only, drags after it all the abfurdities, not to fay blafphemies, of God's giving countenance to illicit acts of love, by creating for, and infufing fouls into bodies produced in ways prohibited by himfelf, viz. in fornications and adulteries.

11. But though the fpirit of animals is neither divine nor immortal, yet if it contains a degree of intelligence,